Behind the Curtain: Circles and a Hockey Room

House 404-0004(Americana) was custom-built over the course of about three years, as the homeowner told me, "down to the hinges: we picked every last detail." Here's what she said about the design:

"I spent a lot of time on the details, and I had an incredible architect. I love the curved walls and the big moldings, and the arched doorways…it’s a continuing theme, even on the banquette we’ve got the arch. Continuing circles are a big theme, I’ve got them in the windows, and on my drapes; I just felt it was soothing.

"All the exterior windows and doors are from the south of France. In general, even though the house is big — it’s about 9500 or 10,000 square feet — I really, really wanted to make sure it didn’t feel enormous. I wanted it to feel, when you walk in the house, that it’s intimate. So that foyer that you walk into, even though we have the spiral staircase, it’s not [grandiose]. The ceilings are 10’ to 14’ high, depending on where you are in the house, but I love the details like the step up or step down, it encloses the space somehow and makes it more intimate."

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I also had to know, how did they end up with a small hockey arena in the house?

"My husband is from Minnesota and grew up playing hockey, and I was a figure skater growing up, so it’s in our blood. Though I wouldn’t have chosen it for my children, because living in Atlanta the ice rinks are far, far away. So, we had this big unfinished space in the basement, and we made it into a hockey arena. It’s not really big enough to roller blade -- you could, but you wouldn’t get very far -- so it’s really like street hockey, floor hockey. It’s a finished stained cement floor with the hockey lines painted, and then we put plexiglass around all the walls, on top of the mural with the crowd, so that all the doors could be closed and you can have at it with a puck…and not ruin my walls! It’s fun, we have a good time down there. Eventurally it’ll be converted to a billiard room, or something…if & when [my son] grows out of it, but for now it’s good."